


Crazy Rich Asians - Reimagined

by LittleMix4life



Category: Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Crazy Rich Asians Series - Kevin Kwan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Businessman Nick Young, F/M, Fashion Designer Rachel Chu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2020-05-28 05:05:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19387081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMix4life/pseuds/LittleMix4life
Summary: Rachel Chu knew that she had it good in life. She was living her dream as one of the hottest (and youngest) names in the world of fashion and had found love with the dashing Nick Young.What she didn't know was that when she accepted her man's invitation to go to Singapore for his best friend's wedding, she would be painting a target on her back. It turns out, being on the arm of the most eligible bachelor in Singapore tends to make enemies in the form of disapproving family members and scheming social climbers. Who knew?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the Crazy Rich Asians series; it belongs to Kevin Kwan.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick asks Rachel to go to Singapore with him and she takes a little while to convince. Neither of them realise that they’re being eavesdropped on.

Rachel Chu sat in her office at her label’s headquarters in Soho, feeling slightly irritated. She was on the phone with her fabric agent, discussing a shipment that should have arrived from Paris five days prior to this conversation.

"Jean-Luc, voudriez-vous expliquer pourquoi cette livraison a presque une semaine de retard?" (Jean-Luc, would you care to explain why this delivery is nearly a week late?).

But he couldn’t. After about a minute of listening to his incoherent rambling, Rachel lost her patience.

“Jean-Luc, c'est la deuxième fois que cela arrive et franchement, j'en ai marre. Je m'attends à ce que ces tissus soient avec mes créateurs d'ici demain après-midi. Pas d'excuses,” (Jean-Luc, this is the second this has happened and quite frankly, I'm getting sick of it. I'm expecting those fabrics to be with my designers by tomorrow afternoon. No excuses.) she snapped before hanging up. Suddenly there was a knock on her door.

“Come in!” she called out. The door opened to reveal her personal assistant, Lindsay.

“Boss, there’s a Kelly Howard from Vogue here to interview you.”

  
  


“Oh right, send her in please.” Rachel put the phone in its correct position before standing up to greet the journalist as she entered her office, making sure to remove all traces of annoyance from her face.

“Hello, it’s such a pleasure to meet you,” Kelly said with a smile.

“Pleasure’s all mine. Would you like something to drink. Tea, coffee, soda, water?” 

“I’d like a soda please.” Rachel got a bottle of Sprite from her mini-fridge and placed it in front of Kelly. She watched in amusement as the journalist took a big swing of the drink.

“Okay, shall we get started? I hope you don’t mind if I record this interview?” Kelly asked as she brought out a tape recorder from her bag.

“Not at all.”

* * *

_At twenty-four years old, you are one of the youngest names in the fashion industry and certainly one of the most successful. But you got your start after winning a DVF fashion design competition. Can you describe what that was like?_

**So in my final year of college, I entered a contest called 'DVF Shark Tank' with a grand prize of $100,000 as well as mentorship from Diane herself. To be selected as finalists, we had to send in a portfolio of at least ten looks, a CV and a business plan explaining what we would do with the prize money. The people that were chosen as finalists then had to produce different pieces of work. It goes without saying that it was a lot of work but I really enjoyed it.**

_What were some challenges you faced when you were first getting your business off the ground? How did you overcome them?_

**It’s often said that things are easier in theory than in practice. In the same way, learning about the business was a lot easier than actually trying to start one myself. Obviously, I had help from Diane but I could hardly expect her to hold my hand all the time. I was raised with the belief that there's nothing wrong with asking for help if you need it but you also have to try and help yourself. I tried my best, but more importantly, I always tried to be true to myself.**

_What was it like working with Diane Von Furstenberg?_

**Amazing! I remember after I won, she literally told me that if I called her anything other than Diane, she wouldn't answer me. She's such a warm and caring person and she wanted to help me make the best of every opportunity. And for that I will always be grateful.**

_What was your goal when it came to fashion. Did you see yourself where you are now?_

**I definitely knew that I wanted to empower women by giving them confidence and making them feel like the best version of themselves. As a Chinese-American woman, I also wanted to promote my culture through my label. But I don’t think I saw myself exactly where I am now.**

_Speaking of Chinese culture, earlier this year, you put together a spread for Vogue Magazine celebrating Chinese New Year. While it was mostly very well received, you did face some criticism for only using models of Chinese ancestry. Why was that and how do you feel about the criticism?_

**Chinese New Year is exactly that– Chinese. Firstly, I made a point to not only use East Asian models but models who are actually of Chinese origin because of this irritating idea that all Oriental countries are the same. Secondly, we live in a world of cultural appropriation. For example, when African-American women wear their hair in cornrows, it’s seen as ghetto. But when a Caucasian woman does it, it’s high fashion. It’s the same thing with Asian culture. So, I wanted to promote Chinese clothing being worn by Chinese people. So while I'm open to constructive criticism, I find this particular criticism ridiculous and rather hypocritical. Because, let's be honest with ourselves, these critics wouldn't have anything to say about a magazine spread or a runway with only white models.**

  
  


_How is it that you have continued to generate new, fresh ideas for each of your collections while remaining true to your core identity? Where do you find inspiration?_

**You can find inspiration everywhere! All you need to do is look hard enough. I am always inspired by women, and I will start each collection with the idea of a woman: Who is she? Where is she from? What is she doing? Who is she meeting? And, I really have an image of a particular type of woman in mind — the most specific ideas make for the strongest collections.**

_You spoke of empowering young women, which you’ve now been able to more as a member of the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America). Why do you think that’s important?_

**Nowadays, I don’t think we have enough women who are of the mindset that they can achieve what they want to achieve. So for me, the best way to remedy that is to shine the light on other women who otherwise may not be recognised for their hard work and skill.**

_Finally, what advice do you give young women starting out in their careers in the fashion industry?_

**Apply for scholarships and enter design competitions. The competitions are especially important because even if you don't win, you still learn a lot about the industry and many opportunities can arise just from being in a competition.**

* * *

The minute Kelly Howard was out of earshot, Rachel went to her assistant’s desk. 

“Lindsay, make a note of this: we need to look for a new fabric agent.” Rachel barely registered Lindsay’s reply of “Yes, boss” when she heard her phone ring. Making her way back to her office, she smiled when she saw the caller name: Nick Young.

“Hi, baby. How was your meeting?”

“It was alright. Are you okay, Rachel, you sound a bit annoyed?” Nick asked. If Rachel had been in a better mood, she’d have swooned at her boyfriend’s attentiveness. Instead, she just sighed.

  
  


“Ugh, I have to look for a new fabric agent. I’m expecting a delivery from Jean-Luc that I should have gotten five days ago.”

“Oooh,” Nick let out empathetically. He knew how irritating tardiness was.

“Exactly, could you imagine what would happen if I needed them before December?”

“Well, I’m sorry about that darling. How about we go and get something to eat from that lovely café a few blocks from my office.”

“That sounds good”

* * *

"Babe, you can order your own," Rachel said as she watched Nick devour half of her lemon meringue tart.

" 'M fine with coffee," he said innocently. Rachel snorted in response

"Yeah, that's what you always say then you end up eating my dessert."

"Don't know what you're talking about." Rachel rolled her eyes and ordered two more lemon meringue tarts. The couple ate in a blissful silence as they enjoyed their desserts before Nick spoke up again.

"So, I was thinking of us taking a trip east."

"How far east?"

"Singapore. For the summer." Rachel dropped her fork. Nick wanted to go on holiday with her for an entire summer. "My best friend, Colin is getting married."

"Nicky, you sure about this?"

"Rachel, darling, I'd love it if you came," Nick pleaded with her. "You don’t have any fashion shows, photoshoots or whatever scheduled, so what's your worry? Don't you'll be able to handle the heat and humidity?"

"No, that's not it at all. You're gonna be busy with all your best-man duties, and I wouldn't want to distract you," Rachel said.

"How would you distract me? Colin's wedding is only going to take up the first week in Singapore, and then we can spend the rest of the summer just bumming around Asia. Come on, I want to show you where I grew up. Let me take you to all my favourite haunts."

"Even that sacred cave where you lost your virginity?" Rachel teased with an arched eyebrow. "Oh definitely. We could even stage a reenactment," Nick laughed. "And doesn't your friend live in Singapore?"

"Peik Lin," Rachel confirmed. "She has been begging me to visit her for a while now."

"All the more reason for you to come. I promise you, my darling, you'll love it. And I know you'll flip out over the food because Singapore is easily the most food-obsessed country on the planet."

"I figured it was pretty much a national sport, what, with the way you fawn over everything you eat."

"Do you remember Calvin Trillin's New Yorker piece on Singapore street foods?" When Rachel nodded, Nick continued "I'll take you to all of the local dives even he doesn't know about. And I know how much you love these scones. Just wait till you taste my Ah Ma's-"

"Hold up, babe, your Ah Ma bakes scones?" Try as she might, Rachel simply could not picture a very traditional Chinese grandmother preparing these quintessentially English baked goods. Nick barely managed to stop himself from laughing at the bewildered look on his girlfriend's face, and explained himself.

"Well, she doesn't exactly bake them herself, but she has the best scones in the world - you'll see." It was Rachel's turn to hold back laughter as Nick turned around to make sure that no one in the cosy little spot had overheard him. The last thing he wanted was to become persona non grata at his favourite café for carelessly swearing loyalty to another scone, even if it was his grandmother's.

At a neighbouring table, the girl huddled behind a three-tiered stand stacked high with finger sandwiches was getting more and more excited by the conversation she was overhearing. She suspected it might be him, but now she was absolutely sure. It was Nicholas Young. She might have only been fifteen years old at the time, but Celine Lim would never forget the day Nick strolled past their table at Pulau Club and flashed that devastating grin at her older sister, Charlotte.

_"Is that one of the Leong brothers?" their mother had asked._

_"No, that's Nicholas Young, a cousin of the Leongs," Charlotte replied._

_"Philip Young's boy? Aiyah, when did he shoot up like that? He's so handsome now!" Mrs Lim exclaimed in excitement._

_"He's at Oxford. He's double-majoring in business management and computer science," Charlotte added, anticipating what her mother would ask next._

_"Why didn't you get up and talk to him?" Mrs Lim demanded._

_"I don't see what the point in that would be, considering you chase away every guy that dares approach me," Charlotte answered dryly._

_"Alamak, stupid girl! I'm trying to protect you from gold diggers. This one you'd be lucky to have. This one you can cheong !"_

_Celine couldn't believe her ears. Was her mother seriously encouraging her big sister to snatch this boy? She stared curiously at Nicholas, who was now laughing animatedly with his friends at a table under a blue and white umbrella by the pool. Even from afar, he stood out in high relief. Unlike the other guys with their regulation Indian barbershop haircuts, Nicholas had perfectly tousled black hair, chiselled Cantopop-idol features, and impossibly thick eyelashes. He was easily the hottest, dreamiest guy she'd ever laid eyes on._

_'Charlotte, why don't you go over and invite him to your fund-raiser on Saturday?" their mother continued to nag._

_"Stop it, Mum," Charlotte smiled through clenched teeth. "I know what I'm doing."_

As it turned out, Charlotte didn't have a clue as to what she was doing, seeing as Nick never showed up at her fund-raiser, much to their mother's eternal disappointment. But that afternoon at Pulau Club left such an indelible mark on Celine's teenage memory that six years later and on the other side of the planet, she still recognized him.

"Hannah, let me get a picture of you with that gorgeous sticky toffee pudding," Celine said more than asked as she took out her camera phone. She pointed it in her friend's direction but surreptitiously trained the lens on Nicholas. She snapped the photo and immediately to her sister who now lived in Atherton, California. Her phone pinged not even three minutes later.

BigSis: OMFG! THAT'S NICK YOUNG! WHERE ARE U?

Celine Lim: T&S.

BigSis: Who's the girl he's with?

Celine Lim: GF, I think. Looks ABC (American Born Chinese)

Celine Lim: OMG, I saw her face, it's Rachel Chu!

BigSis: The fashion designer? 

Celine Lim: Yes!

BigSis: Do you see a ring?

Celine Lim: No ring

BigSis: Pls spy for me!!!

Celine Lim: You owe me big- time!!!

Nick gazed out the café window, marvelling at the people with tiny dogs parading along this stretch of Greenwich Avenue as if it were a catwalk for the city’s most fashionable breeds. A year ago, French bulldogs were all the rage, but now it looked like Italian grey- hounds were giving the Frenchies a run for their money. He faced Rachel again, resuming his campaign. “The great thing about start- ing out in Singapore is that it’s the perfect base. Malaysia is just across a bridge, and it’s a quick hop to Hong Kong, Cambodia, Thailand. We can even go island- hopping oﬀ Indonesia— ” 

“It all sounds amazing, honey, but ten weeks . . . I’m not really used to such long vacations,” Rachel mused. She could sense Nick’s eager- ness, and the idea of visiting Asia again ﬁlled her with excitement. Money certainly wasn’t an issue. She had been to Singapore once before, as well as mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan and had loved it . But those trips had been for photo shoots, ad campaigns and Fashion Weeks; it was all work and no play. Rachel certainly knew enough about Singapore— this tiny, intriguing island at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, which had transformed within a few short decades from a British colonial backwater into the country with the world’s highest concentration of millionaires. It would be fascinating to be able to really explore the place, especially with Nick as her guide. Yet something about this trip made Rachel a little apprehensive, and she couldn’t help but ponder the deeper implications. Nick made it seem so spontaneous, but knowing him, she was sure he had put far more thought into it than he let on. They had been together for almost two years, and now he was inviting her on an extended trip to visit his hometown, to attend his best friend’s wedding, no less. Did this mean what she thought it did? Rachel peered into her teacup, wishing she could divine something from the stray leaves pooled at the bottom of the deep golden Assam. While she prided herself on her practical nature, Rachel couldn’t help but long for a fairy- tale ending. Being twenty-four, she was by Chinese standards a short way from old maid territory, and even though her busybody relatives were perpetually trying to set her up, she had spent her late teens and early twenties jump-starting her career in fashion. This surprise invitation, however, sparked some vestigial instinct within her.

_He wants to take me home. He wants me to meet his family._

The long-dormant romantic in her was awakening, and she knew there was only one answer to give

“Let’s do it.”Rachel declared. Nick leaned across the table, kissing her jubilantly. Minutes later, before Rachel herself knew for certain her summer plans, the details of her conversation had already begun to spread far and wide, circling the globe like a virus set loose. After Celine Lim (Parsons School of Design fashion major) e-mailed her sister Charlotte Lim (recently engaged to venture capitalist Henry Chiu) in California, Charlotte called her best friend Daphne Ma (Sir Benedict Ma’s youngest daughter) in Singapore and breathlessly ﬁlled her in. Daphne texted eight friends, including Carmen Kwek (granddaughter of Robert “Sugar King” Kwek) in Shanghai, whose cousin Amelia Kwek had gone to Oxford with Nicholas Young. Amelia simply had to IM her friend Justina Wei (the Instant Noodle heiress) in Hong Kong, and Justina, whose oﬃce at Hutchison Whampoa was right across the hall from Roderick Liang’s (of the Liang Finance Group Liangs), simply had to interrupt his conference call to share this juicy tidbit. Roderick, in turn, Skyped his girlfriend Lauren Lee, who was holidaying at the Royal Mansour in Marrakech with her grandmother Mrs Lee Yong Chien (no introductions necessary) and her aunt Patsy Teoh (Miss Taiwan 1979, now the ex-wife of telecom mogul Dickson Teoh). Patsy made a poolside call to Jacqueline Ling (granddaughter of philanthropist Ling Yin Chao) in London, knowing full well that Jacqueline would have a direct line to Cassandra Shang (Nicholas Young’s second cousin), who spent every spring at her family’s vast estate in Surrey. And so this exotic strain of gossip spread rapidly through the Levantine networks of the Asian jet set, and within a few hours, almost everyone in this exclusive circle knew that Nicholas Young was bringing a girl home to Singapore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanor Young finds out about her son’s girlfriend and she is not happy.

The chain of information about Nick Young bringing his girlfriend to Singapore ended at his mother's Bible study at her villa. Every Thursday, Eleanor Young held a Bible study luncheon in her home with her closest friends. Today’s lunch started off with braised quail and abalone over hand-pulled noodles, and Eleanor's sister in law Alix (her husband's sister, married to the renowned Hong Kong cardiologist, Malcolm Cheng) fought tooth and nail to separate the starchy noodles while trying to find 1 Timothy in her King James Bible. With her bobbed perm and her rimless reading glasses perched at the tip of her nose, she looked like the principal of a girls’ school. At sixty-four, she was the oldest of the ladies, and even though everyone else was on the New American Standard, Alix always insisted on reading from her version, saying, “I went to a convent school and was taught by nuns, you know, so it will always be King James for me.” Tiny droplets of garlicky broth splattered onto the tissue-like page, but she managed to keep the good book open with one hand while deftly manoeuvring her ivory chopsticks with the other.

"If then you have been raised with Christ," Eleanor read from her Bible, "seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God." She ignored the pinging of her friends' mobile phones. "Set your minds on things that are above, not things that are on Earth."

"Eleanor." The woman in question looked up from her Bible to face Jacqueline Ling ( granddaughter of philanthropist Ling Yin Chao). "Is Nicky bringing a girl to Colin's wedding?" she asked. "My Amanda heard it from her friend, Francesca."

"Eddie says her name is Rachel Chu; she's some fashion designer from New York," Alix piped up. Eleanor fought not to show her horror at the thought of her son bringing home an American girl. Lorena Lim (the wife of Lawrence Lim of the L’Orient Jewelry Lims) made a confused face.

"I thought Nick was coming alone. Did you know Nick had a girlfriend El?"

"Nick dates many girls, it's hard to keep track," Eleanor replied trying to end the conversation. Jacqueline, however, wasn't to be deterred.

"Amanda knows everyone and she's never heard of this Rachel."

"Maybe she's from the Taiwan plastics Chu family."

“Oh my goodness, I hope she’s not one of those Taiwanese tornadoes!” Jacqueline almost cackled.

“What do you mean by that?” Lorena asked.

“You know how notorious those Taiwanese girls can be. They swoop in unexpectedly, the men fall head over heels, and before you know it they are gone, but not before sucking up every last dollar, just like a tornado,” Nadine explained. “I know so many men who have fallen prey—think about Mrs K. C. Tang’s son Gerald, whose wife cleaned him out and ran off with all the Tang heirlooms. Or poor Annie Sim, who lost her husband to that lounge singer from Taipei.”

Alix leaned close to Eleanor, noticing that her sister in law was being awfully quiet.

"If you want, I have a private investigator, _very discreet._ " At this point, Eleanor had had enough.

"I think," she began firmly, "we should return to the word of God. Alix." The other women decided that discretion was the better part of valour and did not push Eleanor on the matter. Alix began reading from her Bible.

"Ephesians, chapter six, verse four. Bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord - oh I do hope she's a good Christian girl." Apparently Alix couldn't help herself. Her interruption started up the gossip again.

"Well if he's bringing her home it must be serious," Jacqueline stated to Lorena's agreement. The chatter stopped when the ladies saw Eleanor's facial expression.

\------

Back in the café in Soho, Nick's phone started ringing.

"Oh, it's my mum, do you mind?" he asked Rachel. At the shake of her head, Nick pressed a kiss to her cheek, asking her to save him a piece of the lemon meringue tart. When he decided that he had sufficiently distanced himself from their table, he picked up the phone. "Hey, mum. Is everything okay?"

"Does something have to be wrong for a mother to want to speak with her only child?" Eleanor asked in a slightly affronted tone. Nick took advantage of the fact that his mother couldn't see him and he rolled his eyes. Unless something was wrong, Nick was always the one to call his mother, never the other way around and she knew it.

"In our case, yeah, usually."

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny," Eleanor replied sarcastically. "Are you bringing the girl you're dating to Colin's wedding?" That question gave Nick pause.

"Hmm, we were literally just talking about that. How could you possibly know already?" Eleanor scoffed at that. 

" _Everybody_ knows, Nicky." Nick turned to the door of the café just in time to lock eyes with a girl he recognised as Celine Lim before she and her friend all but bolted. He knew exactly who had helped her spread the word so quickly.

"Radio One Asia, of course," he muttered, mentally cursing Cassandra's inability to keep anything to herself. Nick then heard his mother telling her Bible study mates to, "Move on to Corinthians, I'll catch up in a bit," before turning her attention back to him. 

"We're all looking forward to having you at home. And we have your room ready, _for you._ " Noticing the emphasis that his mother placed on those last two words, Nick knew that he would have to put his foot down.

"Thanks, mum, but Rachel and I are staying together." 

"I see," Eleanor said shortly. " Well, I'm having the house re-done and it's not ready for guests. If Rachel is coming, I think that she would be more comfortable if she were to stay somewhere else." Nick sighed. `Unfortunately, he knew his mother well enough to know that she was not going to budge on the subject. After a quick goodbye, he made his way over to Rachel.

"Sorry about that."

"I saved you a piece," Rachel informed him innocently, gesturing to the meagre piece of lemon meringue tart left on the dessert plate.

"You did, did you? A very small piece at that, thank you very much, my darling." Rachel giggled while he gobbled up the last piece.

"So, how's your mom?" Nick turned to look at his sweet, beautiful, girlfriend. "Couldn't be better," he replied with what he hoped was an easy smile. Rachel seemed to think it was as she leaned in for a kiss. During those few seconds of bliss, Nick thought to himself that if he was Pinocchio, his nose would be at least a foot long!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kerry Chu is super excited about her daughter's upcoming trip to Singapore but only seems to succeed in making her panic.

Rachel Chu had been an extremely gifted child. By the age of three she was already a fluent reader in Mandarin, Cantonese and English and by the age of six she had an IQ of 140. To make sure that her gift wasn’t wasted, her mother, Kerry, got her in advanced classes, music lessons, you name it. At the age of twelve, she was at an eleventh grade level, had passed her Grade 8 piano exam with merit and had become fluent in Japanese, French Spanish and German. However, Rachel’s true love was fashion and art. While the other kids were watching Disney Channel, Rachel watched things like Project Runway, The Fashion Show and America’s Next Top Model. As a history geek, she could also recite, which designers were responsible for which fashion innovations and could describe the fashion from the 16th century, all up to the 21st. Which is why, provided her education didn’t suffer, Rachel was allowed to learn fashion design and maintain a career as a child model. It was also the reason why being offered a full scholarship to Parsons School of Design, the most prestigious design school in the U.S, at the age of fifteen had been a dream come true. Winning a Diane Von Furstenberg competition, even more so. Fast forward nine years later, she was now the face of a billion dollar fashion label.

Now, Rachel knew that, like any normal parent, her mother was immensely proud of the fact that her business was so successful. That being said, Kerry Chu was a very proud woman, who deep down still felt that she should be taking care of her daughter and not the other way around. Therefore she still protested whenever Rachel spent large sums of money on her. However, as Rachel loved doing nice things for her family, she still insisted on a shopping spree at Saks Fifth Avenue. The first store they entered was a large Stella McCartney outlet and almost immediately the manager came rushing to greet Rachel and Kerry, She smiled through the woman’s ass-kissing, while internally rolling her eyes. The first time that Rachel had shopped Saks, Rachel had been ‘advised’ to leave by an attendant because they didn’t serve ‘her kind’. The manager had been quick to fire this employee, but only because she recognised Rachel from various billboards around the country. So it was hardly any wonder that she took all the flattery with a fistful of salt.

“Does this happen often?” Kerry asked her daughter. Again, she supported her daughter in all her endeavours but preferred to stay away from all the glitz and glamour that Rachel’s job came with. To Kerry, that included fans or in this case, ass-kissers.

“So I have another reason for taking you out today,” Rachel began as they looked through the racks on the ground floor of the Marc. Kerry looked up from the clothes and at her daughter, prompting her to continue “Nick invited me to spend the summer in Singapore with him and go to his best friend’s wedding.”

“He did?” Kerry remarked in Cantonese, her voice lowering by at least an octave.

“Mama, don’t start getting any ideas,” Rachel warned, knowing that tone of her mother’s so well. When Kerry Chu was on a roll, there was virtually nothing in the world that could stop herself.

“Hiyah! What ideas? When you brought Nick home last Thanksgiving, everyone who saw you two lovebirds together said you were perfect for each other. Now it’s his turn to introduce you to his family. Do you think he’s going to propose?” Kerry gushed, unable to contain herself.

“Mama, not once have we ever spoken about marriage,” Rachel said, trying to downplay it. While Rachel was super excited about all the possibilities that hung over the trip, she wasn’t going to encourage her mom for the time being. Her mother was already far too invested in her happiness, and while it was understandable, she didn’t want to get her hopes up … too much. Her attention went to a red, snakeskin clutch bag but her mother pressed on.

“ _BǎoBǎo_ , I know men like Nick. He can act the billionaire bachelor all he wants, but I know deep down he is the marrying kind. He wants to settle down and have many children, so there is no more time to waste. Besides, how many nights a week do you already spend at his place? I’m shocked you two haven’t moved in together yet”

“Oh my gosh, Mama, you’re just like Consuela!” Consuela was Rachel’s housekeeper; a lovely Costa Rican woman in her mid forties who had been working for her for three years. She had started calling Rachel _Señora_ instead of _Señorita_ when she decided that it was high time her _jefa_ got hitched. She and Rachel’s mom also got on like a house on fire, much to Rachel’s pleasure and occasional annoyance. “You need to give that woman a raise.” Kerry stated firmly, causing Rachel to let out a breathless laugh. “I still have to defend you on this subject, even more so because you’re so famous. Do you know for every picture of you in a magazine, I get five inquiries about when your wedding will be? In fact, I ran into Ming Chun at Peet’s office yesterday. “I know your daughter wanted to focus on establishing her career and all that, but isn’t it time that girl got married?” she asked. You know her daughter Jessica is engaged to that number seven guy at Facebook, right?”

“Yes, you told me. Instead of an engagement ring, he endowed a scholarship in her name at Stanford,” Rachel replied in an exasperated tone. At this point, Rachel and Kerry both had baskets full of clothes. “And she’s nowhere near as pretty as you,” Kerry stated with a hint of indignation. “All your aunties and uncles were starting to lose hope, but I knew that you were waiting for the right one. And I think you’ve found him. Your children will be smart and very good looking. “Speaking of aunties and uncles, promise me you won’t go telling everyone right away. Please?” Rachel pleaded. “Hiyah! Okay, okay. I know you are always so cautious, and you don’t want to be disappointed, but I just know in my heart what’s going to happen,” her mother said merrily. “Well, until something happens, there’s no point making a big deal out of it,” Rachel insisted. “So where will you be staying in Singapore?” “At his parents’ place, I guess.” “Do they live in a house or an apartment?” Kerry asked. “I have no idea.” “You must find out these things!” “Why does it matter? Are you going to try to sell them a house in Singapore?” “I’ll tell you why it matters—do you know what the sleeping arrangements will be?” “Sleeping arrangements? Like, am I staying in a guest bedroom or sharing a bed with Nick?” “Yes!” “I can just ask Nick.” “You’d better do it soon, because that is the most important thing. You can’t assume that Nick’s parents are going to be as liberal-minded as I am. The Overseas Chinese are different from us and the last thing you want is for his parents to think you weren’t raised well.”

“How are they different? They’re Chinese, I’m Chinese. In fact, I’m so Chinese, I get Asian flushed from drinking wine coolers,” Rachel said proudly.

“But, daughter, you grew up in America.” Kerry then turned to face Rachel. “Your face is Chinese. You speak like a native. But you are different.” Even if it didn’t show on her face, Rachel was completely panicked by the time her mother had finished speaking. This outing had made her realise something very important: she knew fuck all about Nick’s family. He had never spoken to her about what his parents were like, what they did for a living. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if they did live in a house! And if they were so different from Rachel, would they really accept her? 

Sensing her daughter's unease, Kerry cupped Rachel's face with her hands. "It's okay _bǎobǎo._ Either way, I'm sure Nick's parents will love you. So will you stop worrying, please?"  
  
"Yes, Mama," Rachel conceded with a small smile.

"Good! Now let's go and try on these ridiculously expensive clothes!" Kerry marched to changing rooms, ignoring the indignant gasps of the staff members. Rachel let out a sigh as she followed her mother, as she knew she had just told a big old fib. Because once Rachel Chu started to worry, there was virtually nothing in the world that could stop her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick realises how much Rachel is freaking out and Cousin Astrid puts her two cents in.

Nick was slouched on his sleek leather sofa and working off his tablet when Rachel casually brought it up. “So . . . what’s happening when we stay at your parents’ place? Are we sharing a bedroom, or would they be scandalized?”

Nick cocked his head. “Hmm. I suppose we’ll be in the same room—”

“You suppose or you know?”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, once we arrive everything will get sorted.” Get sorted he says. Normally Rachel found Nick’s Britishy phrases so charming and really sexy, but in this instance it was a tad frustrating. Sensing her unease, Nick beckoned her over. When she came and settled herself on his lap, he cuddled her closed and kissed her softly.

“Relax—my parents aren’t the kind of people who pay any attention to sleeping arrangements.” Rachel wondered if that was really true. She reached out to grab her iPad so that she could keep looking at the photos on it. As she sat there in the glow of the laptop, Nick couldn’t help but marvel at how beautiful his girlfriend looked even at the end of a long day. How did he get so lucky? Even when she wasn’t dressed to the nines, her golden tan complexion, her long obsidian waves conveyed a natural beauty that was so unlike the girls he grew up around. Now Rachel was absentmindedly rubbing her index finger back and forth over her upper lip, her brow slightly furrowed. Nick knew that gesture well. What was she worried about? Ever since he had invited Rachel to Asia a few days ago, the questions had been piling on steadily. Where were they staying? What gift should she bring for his parents? What had Nick told them about her? Nick had thought that she would be too tired to worry, given that she had just come back from Italy but Rachel quickly proved him wrong. He really wished he could stop that brilliant, creative, analytical mind of hers from overthinking every aspect of the trip. Nick was beginning to see that Astrid had been right. Astrid was not only his cousin, she was his closest female confidant, and he had first fielded the idea of inviting Rachel to Singapore during their phone conversation a week ago.

“First of all, you know you’ll be instantly escalating things to the next level, don’t you? Is this what you really want?” Astrid asked bluntly.

“No. Well . . . maybe. This is just a summer holiday.”

“Come on, Nicky, this is not ‘just a summer holiday.’ That’s not how women think, and you know it. You’ve been dating seriously for over a year now. You’re twenty-seven years old, and up till now you have never brought anyone home. This is major. Everyone is going to assume that you’re going to—”

“Propose to her, yes, I know,” Nick said with a touch of exasperation

“See—you know that is precisely what will be on everyone’s mind. Most of all, I can guarantee you it’s on Rachel’s mind.”

Nick sighed. Why did everything have to be so fraught with significance? This always happened whenever he sought the female perspective. Maybe calling Astrid was a bad idea. She was older than him by just a year, but sometimes she slipped into big-sister mode too much. He preferred the capricious, devil-may-care side of Astrid. “I just want to show Rachel my part of the world and let her have a proper holiday, that’s all,” he tried to explain. “And I guess part of me wants to see how she’ll react to it.”

“By ‘it’ you mean our family,” Astrid said.

“No, not just our family. My friends, the island, everything. Can’t I go on holiday with my girlfriend without it becoming a diplomatic incident?” Astrid paused for a moment, trying to assess the situation. This was the most serious her cousin had ever gotten with anyone. Even if he wasn’t ready to admit it to himself, she knew that on a subconscious level, at least, he was taking the next crucial step on the way to the altar. But that step needed to be handled with extreme care. Was Nicky truly prepared for all the landmines he would be setting off? He could be rather oblivious to the intricacies of the world he had been born into. Maybe he had always been shielded by their grandmother, since he was the apple of her eye. Or maybe Nick had just spent too many years living outside of Asia. In their world, you did not bring home some unknown girl unannounced.

“You know I think Rachel is an angel. I really do. But if you invite her to come home with you, it will change things between you, whether you like it or not. Now, I’m not concerned about whether your relationship can handle it—I know it can. My worry is more about how everyone else is going to react. You know how small the island is. You know how things can get with . . .” Astrid’s voice was suddenly drowned out by the staccato scream of a police siren.

“That was a strange noise. Where are you right now?” Nick asked.

“I’m on the street,” Astrid replied.

“In Singapore?”

“No, in Paris.”

“What? Paris?” Nick was confused.

“Yep, I’m on rue de Berri, and two police cars just whizzed by.”

“I thought you were in Singapore. Sorry for calling so late—I thought it was morning for you.”

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s only one thirty. I’m just walking back to the hotel.”

“Is Michael with you?”

“No, he’s in China for work.”

“What are you up to in Paris?”

“Just my annual spring trip, you know.”

“Oh, right.” Nick remembered that Astrid spent every April in Paris for her couture fittings. He had met her in Paris once before, and he could still recall the strange mixture of fascination and boredom that he felt sitting in the Yves Saint Laurent atelier on avenue Marceau, watching three seamstresses flitter around his cousin as she stood Zen-like, swathed in an airy confection for what seemed like ten hours, guzzling down Diet Cokes to fight off her jet lag. She looked to him like a figure from a baroque painting, a Spanish infanta submitting to an archaic costuming ritual straight out of the seventeenth century. (It was a “particularly uninspired season,” Astrid had told him, and she was buying “only” twelve pieces that spring, spending well over a million euros.) Nick didn’t even want to imagine how much money she must be blowing on this trip with no one there to rein her in. “I miss Paris. I haven’t been there in a while. Remember our crazy trip there with Eddie?” he said.

“Aiyowei, please don’t remind me! That’s the last time I ever share a suite with that rascal!” Astrid shuddered, thinking she would never be able to erase the image of her Hong Kong cousin with that amputee stripper and those profiteroles.

“Are you staying in the Penthouse at the George V?”

“But of course.”

“You’re such a creature of habit. It would be super-easy to assassinate you.” “Why don’t you try?” “Well, next time you’re in Paris, let me know. I might just surprise you and hop the pond with my special assassin’s kit.”

“Are you going to knock me out, put me in a bathtub, and pour acid all over me?” “No, for you there will be a far more elegant solution.”

“Well, come and get me. I’ll be here till early May. Why not bring Rachel to Paris for a long weekend?”

“Wish I could. She's in Rome at the moment, so if you happen to be going in that direction you might catch her. But she has lot's to do before our trip.”

Astrid sighed. “You know what will happen the minute you land at Changi Airport with this girl on your arm, don’t you? You know how brutal it was for Michael when we first started going out publicly. That was five years ago, and he’s still getting used to it. Do you really think Rachel is ready for all that? Are you ready for it?” Nick remained silent. He was taking in everything Astrid had to say, but his mind was already made up. He was ready. He was absolutely head over heels in love with Rachel, and it was time to show her off to the whole world.

“Nicky, how much does she know?” Astrid asked.

“About what?”

“About our family.”

“Not much. You’re the only one she’s met. She thinks you’ve got great fashion sense and that your husband spoils you rotten. That’s about it.”

“You probably want to prepare her a bit,” Astrid said with a laugh.

“What is there to prepare her for?” Nick asked breezily.

“Listen, Nicky,” Astrid said, her tone getting serious. “You can’t just throw Rachel into the deep end like this, it wouldn’t be fair to her. You need to prep her, do you hear me?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel finds out that Nick hasn't been 100% open with her.

Rachel knew that she loved Nick more than her own life. But as she and Nick stood in her studio, after listening to the bombshell he just dropped, she also knew that she wanted to yell at him in every language that she spoke. Apparently, not only had Nick’s parents just been informed that Rachel was coming to Singapore, _oh no,_ they had also just been informed of her existence.

“How is it that we’ve been dating for over a year and you haven’t said a word about me to your parents?” she asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

“Look you need to know this has absolutely nothing to do with you—” Nick began.

“Sorry, honey, it’s a little hard not to take it personally.”

“Please don’t. I’m sorry if it seems that way. It’s just that …” Nick swallowed nervously, wondering how best to explain himself. “It’s just that I’ve always tried to keep clear boundaries between my personal life and my family life, that’s all.” That only confused Rachel.

“What the hell are you talking about? Shouldn’t your personal life be the same as your family life?”

“Not in my case. Rachel, you know how overbearing Chinese parents can be.”

“Well, yeah, but it still wouldn’t keep me from telling my mom about something as important as my boyfriend. I mean, my mom knew about you five minutes after our first date, and you were sitting down to dinner with her—enjoying her winter melon soup, like, two months later.”

“Well, darling, you have a very special relationship with your mum, you know that. Most other Asians aren’t that lucky. And with my parents, it’s just …” Nick paused, struggling for the right words. “We’re just different. We’re much more formal with each other, and we don’t really discuss our emotional lives at all.”

“What, are they cold and emotionally shut down or something? Did they live through the Great Depression?” Nick was sorely tempted to laugh, but Rachel was still giving him the stink eye so he thought better of it.

“No, nothing like that. I just think you’ll understand when you meet them.” Rachel didn’t know what to think. Sometimes Nick could be so cryptic, and his explanation made no sense to her. Still, she didn’t want to lose her cool. “Anything else you want to tell me about your family before I get on a plane and spend the whole summer with you?” Nick was stumped. He wanted Rachel to be prepared to meet his family, but he also wanted her to create her own impressions when the time came. Still, Astrid was right. Rachel needed some sort of primer on his family. But how exactly could he explain his family to her? He sat on the chair by the sewing machines, leaning against the wooden table and resting his head in one of his hands.

“Well, you probably should know that I come from a very big family.”

“I thought you were an only child.”

“I am, but I have lots of extended relatives, and you’ll be meeting lots of them. There are three intermarried branches, and to outsiders, it can seem a bit overwhelming at first.” He wished he hadn’t used the word outsiders as soon as he said it, but Rachel seemed not to notice, so he continued. “It’s like any big family. I have loudmouth uncles, eccentric aunts, obnoxious cousins, the whole nine yards. But I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of meeting them. You met Astrid, and you liked her, didn’t you?”

“Astrid is a rockstar.”

“Well, she adores you. Everyone will adore you, Rachel. I just know it.” Suddenly Nick’s phone went off and he gave an apologetic look before stepping out to take the call. Rachel stood quietly on the bed beside the fabric rack, trying to soak in everything Nick had said. This was the most he had ever talked about his family, and it made her feel a little less panicked. True, she still wasn’t exactly sure what the deal with his parents, but she had to admit that she had seen her fair share of distant families—especially among her Asian peers. Back in high school, she had endured dreary meals in the fluorescent-lit dining rooms of her classmates, dinners where not more than five words were exchanged between parent and child. She had noticed the stunned reactions from her friends whenever she randomly gave her mother hugs and kisses “or said “I love you” at the end of a phone call. And several years ago, she had been e-mailed a humorous list entitled “Twenty Ways You Can Tell You Have Asian Parents.” Number one on the list: Your parents never, ever call you “just to say hello.” She didn’t get many of the jokes on the list since her own experience growing up had been entirely different.

“We’re so fortunate, you know. Not many mothers and daughters have what we have,” Kerry said when they caught up on the phone later that evening.

“I realize that, Mom. I know it’s different because you were a single mom, and you literally took me everywhere,” Rachel mused. Back when she was a child, it seemed like every year or so her mother would answer a classified ad in World Journal, the Chinese-American newspaper, and off they would go to a new job in some random Chinese restaurant in some random town. Images of all those tiny boarding-house rooms and makeshift beds in cities like East Lansing, Phoenix, and Tallahassee flashed through her head.

“You can’t expect other families to be like us. I was so young when I had you—nineteen—we were able to be like sisters. Don’t be so hard on Nick. Sad to say, but I was never very close to my parents either. In China, there was no time to be close—my mother and father worked from morning till night, seven days a week, and I was at school all the time.”

“Still, how can he hide something as important as this from his parents? It’s not like Nick and I have only been going out for a couple of months.”

“Daughter, once again you are judging the situation with your American eyes. You have to look at this the Chinese way. In Asia, there is a proper time for everything, a proper etiquette. Like I said before, you have to realize that these Overseas Chinese families can be even more traditional than we Mainland Chinese. You don’t know anything about Nick’s background. Has it occurred to you that they might be quite poor? Not everyone is rich in Asia, you know. Maybe Nick has a duty to work hard and send money back to his family, and they wouldn’t approve if they thought he was wasting money on girlfriends. Or maybe he didn’t want his family to know that the two of you spend half the week living together. For all you know, they could be devout Buddhists.”

“That’s just it, Mama. It’s dawning on me that Nick knows everything there is to know about me, about us, but I know almost nothing about his family.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. You know Nick. You know he is a good man, and though he may have kept you a secret for a while, he is doing things the honourable way now. At last, he feels ready to introduce you to his family—properly—and that is the most important thing,” Kerry said.

Rachel lay in bed, calmed as always by her mother’s soothing Mandarin tones. Maybe she was being too hard on Nick. She had let her insecurities get the better of her, and her knee-jerk reaction was to assume that the only reason that Nick waited so long to tell his parents was that he was somehow embarrassed about her.

Before Rachel went to bed, she had one more person to call: Peik Lin.

“Finally! You’re coming to Singapore!!” she exclaimed gleefully.

“Yeah, Nick invited me to his friend, Colin Khoo’s wedding.” Peik Lin’s eyes bulged.

“Your boyfriend is friends with Colin Khoo?!”

“Yeah, do you know him?”

“Personally, no. But considering he’s the heir to one of the biggest companies in Singapore and his family is one of the richest in the world, I definitely know who he is.” There was a pause.

“Wait, what did you say Nick’s surname was again?”

“Young, why?” Another pause.

“Rae… you have A LOT to learn.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off to Singapore.

It might have been paranoia, but Nick had a feeling that he was in the doghouse with Rachel. One thing he adored about his lovely girlfriend was that she was always very talkative when they were together. However, Rachel had barely said anything on their way to the airport. He couldn’t help but wonder what was on her mind.

As the couple were led to the hulking airbus, they were greeted by a flight attendant wearing the same, crisp, Singapore Airline uniform.

“Mr Young, Ms Chu, welcome aboard. Please allow me to show you to your suite.

The cabin consisted of two large armchairs upholstered in buttery hand-stitched Poltrona Frau leather, two huge flat-screen televisions placed side by side, and a full-length wardrobe ingeniously hidden behind a sliding burled-walnut panel. A Givenchy cashmere throw was artfully draped over the seats, beckoning them to snuggle up and get cosy.

The stewardess gestured to the cocktails awaiting them on the centre console. “An aperitif before takeoff? Mr Young, your usual gin and tonic. Ms Chu, a Kir Royale to get you settled in.”

“Thank you,” Rachel accepted the drink with a smile.

“Would you like to enjoy your lounge chairs until dinner, or would you prefer us to convert your suite into a bedroom right after takeoff?”

“I think we’ll enjoy this screening-room setup for a while,” Nick replied. When the flight attendant left the suite, Rachel got up and parked herself on her boyfriend’s lap.

“So, I spoke to Peik Lin.”

On its own, it was a very innocent statement. But Rachel’s tone of voice made it obvious that she wasn’t particularly pleased with Nick.

“And…” Nick began with a slight wince. He knew there was no point in feigning innocence but he couldn’t help it.

“She basically told me what you were having trouble telling me. That you’re the heir of the wealthiest family in Singapore.” Fuck.

“Rachel, I...” he tried to explain but Rachel was quick to let him know that she wasn’t angry.

“Why did you feel so uncomfortable telling me that, though? I already know you have money.” 

“Yeah, but that’s my money. From childhood I was always taught not to talk about my family’s money,” Nick explained. “Plus let’s be honest, when we met, if I’d started bragging about my family’s wealth, you wouldn’t have been able to get away from me fast enough.”

-Rome, March 2016-

Let’s be clear. Rachel Chu had not been looking for a boyfriend or potential husband when she met Nicholas Young at a ball in Italy.

In actual fact, Rachel had long since gotten fed up with the idea of dating an Asian man. “The Asian male would be perfectly nice and normal to all the other girls, but special treatment would be reserved for her. First, there was the optical scan: the boy would assess her physical attributes in the most blatant way—quantifying every inch of her body by a completely different set of standards than he would use for non-Asian girls. How big were her eyes? Were they double-lidded naturally, or did she have that eyelid surgery? How light was her skin? How straight and glossy was her hair? Did she have good child-birthing hips? Did she have an accent? And how tall was she really, without heels on? (At five foot eight, Rachel was on the tall side, and hell would freeze over before an Asian male dated a taller girl.)

If she happened to pass this initial hurdle, the real test would begin. Asian women all over North America knew this test. They called it the “SATs.” The Asian male would begin a not so covert interrogation focused on the Asian female’s social, academic, and talent aptitudes in order to determine whether she was possible “wife and bearer of my sons” material. This happened while the Asian male not so subtly flaunted his “own SAT stats—how many generations his family had been in America; what kind of doctors his parents were; how many musical instruments he played; the number of tennis camps he went to; which Ivy League scholarships he turned down; what model BMW, Audi, or Lexus he drove; and the approximate number of years before he became (pick one) chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief technology officer, chief law partner, or chief surgeon. However, showing them up in any area was an instant failure. That included going to college at fourteen, getting a masters degree at twenty one and being the face of a company worth billions of dollars. 

Unfortunately, for Rachel, the sort of events that she began to frequent, due to her rising fame, were usually filled with these types of men. Every April 30, the Lombardi banking family of Rome hosted  _ Il Ballo di Rose  _ that was the pinnacle of the spring social season in Europe. This year, Rachel had been commissioned to design the dress for the Viscontessa Alessandra di Lombardi, so she was something of a guest of honour. As she walked through the arched pathway that led to Lombardi’s magnificent  _ palazzo _ , she smiled through all the camera flashes, before being led to the ballroom. Rachel barely had a minute to take in the wonderful decorations before she was greeted by the Viscountess herself

“Rachel, che piacere vederti!!” (Rachel, how lovely to see you!) she exclaimed before they gave each other the customary kisses on each cheek. When they separated, the Viscontessa gave Rachel an appreciative look up and down, “Sembri affascinante!!” (You look gorgeous!) eyeing Rachel’s a white caped mermaid gown and emerald chandelier earrings. Rachel, in turn, eyed her creation for the Italian heiress: a gold high-necklined strapless dress covered in Swarovski crystals, with off-the-shoulder straps dripping with hip-length silk tassels. 

“Lo stesso vale per te, Viscontessa.” (I could say the same about you, Countess).

“Ti ho detto di chiamarmi Alessandra. Vieni, vieni, ho chiesto espressamente che tu fossi seduto al mio tavolo” (I've told you to call me Alessandra. Come on, I expressly ask that you be seated at my table) The Countess led Rachel to a table at the front of the room, which was fully occupied, save two seats.

“Onorevoli colleghi, questa è Rachel Chu, una stella nascente nel settore della moda.” (Ladies and gentlemen, this is Rachel Chu, a rising star in the fashion industry). Of all the people that the Countess had introduced her to that evening, only one of them stood out to her. Nicholas A. Young. CEO and founder of Young Enterprises, a global tech conglomerate.

That wasn’t to say that Rachel felt the proverbial lightning bolt strike that women in cheesy rom-coms felt when they met guys that they were into. True, he was devastatingly handsome, but Rachel had always been very suspicious of handsome men. Especially handsome Asian men who spoke fluent Italian (kinda hypocritical but what can you do?). She had become so accustomed to enduring the SATs that its absence tonight was strangely disconcerting. When she attended galas such as this, the majority of the men she met, especially the Asians, didn’t seem to realise that the fact that they were at the event at all was indicative of their wealth and any more mention of it was overkill. Nick Young was the polar opposite, he wasn’t relentlessly dropping names or trying (and failing) to be subtle about showing off his watch that cost more than what the average Joe made in a year. Rachel wasn’t fighting the urge to roll her eyes when he spoke, in fact, she found herself in animated conversation with him. Before she knew it, dinner was over. Nick stood up and held his hand out to her.

"Ti andrebbe di ballare?" ("Would you care to dance?") Rachel took his hand with a smile and stood up

"Mi piacerebbe molto." ("I would love to.") As the two of them move in time to the gorgeous melody of the violins, Rachel couldn't help but gaze at the handsome man she had spent an entire evening with. While she would swear up and down that she wasn't a fairytale kind of woman, Nick Young might just be her Prince Charming.


End file.
